Fernandes' £85m Statement Volley Kicks Off Spurs Pre-Season

The £85m man, nabbed from West Ham, wasted no time making his presence felt. A proper introduction to life at Spurs, that was. He lined up in a double pivot, right next to Sandro Tonali, another fresh face. Fernandes flashed the kind of attacking spark Tottenham was crying out for last season. Forward passes. Sharp. All in the first half, of course, before De Zerbi ripped up the XI at the break.

Tonali, the £100m club-record arrival, wasn't just there for show. He sat deep, the defensive anchor to Fernandes' flash. They worked. Then De Zerbi pulled them. And like clockwork, Spurs' control evaporated. Sky Sports clocked it. Anyone watching did.

Martin Dubravka, the third summer signing, popped up after the break. A free transfer, 37 years old. He's not getting younger. But the man still has reflexes. Denied an MK Dons header late in the game. Maybe that shuts up the age critics. For now, anyway.

The boss's proclaimed new number one, Antonin Kinsky, got the nod from the start. Looked comfortable on the ball. That's a direct threat to Guglielmo Vicario's spot, isn't it? The writing's on the wall for him, perhaps.

Plenty of big names watched from the stands. Andy Robertson, Jan Paul van Hecke, Micky van de Ven, James Maddison—all benched, fresh off international duty. Injuries kept Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski, Xavi Simons, and Wilson Odobert out entirely. Gaps, everywhere.

All those absences? Prime real estate for the youngsters. Mikey Moore, 18 years old, fresh from a Rangers loan, looked good on the left wing. He's certainly put his hand up. De Zerbi's got to be watching.